Button-hole sewing-machine



(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 J. S. FREESE.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MAGHINE.

Patented May 14, 1889.

.lNVE/VTOI? GM i @110 ATTORNEY er. Washington. D. c.

6 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

J. S. FREESE.

' BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

No. 403,424. Patented May 14, 1889.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 5. J. S. PREESE. BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

Patented May 14, 1889.

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(No Model.) 6- Sheets-Sheet 6.

J. S. PREESE.

BUTTON HOLE SEWING MACHINE.

Not 403A24. Patented May 14, 1889.

N. PETERS. Phnh-Lflhognpher. Washinglom DC NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOIIN S. FREESE, OF BROOKLYN, NEIV YORK.

BUTTON-HOLE SEWING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 403,424, dated May 14, 1889.

Application filed March 19, 1888. Serial No. 267,730- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN S. FREESE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Button-Hole Sewing- Hachines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates, especially, to that class of button-hole sewing-machines for'which I filed an application May 11, 1886, SerialNo. 201,802; and it consists of certain novel features of construction, hereinafter described, for stitching across both ends of the buttonhole with an eye at one end and a bar at the other without turning the fabric.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a partial side view and partial vertical longitudinal section of a sewing-machine embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents a partial top or plan view and partial horizontal section thereof. Fig. represents a detail view of parts. Fig. represents apartial inverted plan view and partial horizontal section of the machine, the plane of section being indicated by the line 00 03, Fig. 1. Fig. I represents a partial end View and partial cross-section thereof. Fig. 5 represents the button-hole stitches. Figs. 6, 7, and S illustrate a modification of the invention, Fig. 8 being a cross-section on line y y, Fig. 6, omitting some of the parts.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to Figs. 1 to i, inclusive, the letter A indicates the stationary machine-arm; B, a vibrating arm forming the needle-bar carrier pivoted to the stationary arm, and C an eccentric on the driving-shaft D, connected to the vibrating arm by means of a pitman, 0, in the usual manner. The drivingshaft D has its bearings in suitable portions of the machine-arm and carries a looper, D, which co-operates with the needle to form the button-hole stitch.

The letter F indicates the cloth-plate of the machine, having two opposite edges fitted in guideways F, which are secured to a feedbar, G, extending under the clotlrplate across the machine, the feed-bar being in turn fitted in guideways G on the lower forward por tion, A, of the machine-arm to move in alinc opposite to the line of said ways of the clothplate, which line of the bar is the line of the feed. Upon the cloth-plate F is arranged the clamp F and its concomitants for holding the fabric during the sewing operation.

The letter If indicates the feed-wheel, which is mounted horizontally 011 a suitable shaft depending from a bracket, A of the machine-arm, and in the upper surface of which is a cam-groove, II, Fig. 2, for operating a feed-lever, G while in the lower surface thereof is a second cam-groove, H Fig. 3, for operating an adjusting-lever, I, hereinafter more fully described.

The feed-lever G has its fulcrum in a pivot, G which is adjustably or otherwise secured in a standard, G rising from the base A of the machine, and at each end of said lever is a longitudinal slot, G, by one of which it engages a stud, J, of a bell-crank, J, Fig. 2*, connecting with the feed-bar G, while by the other slot it engages a stud, G, fitted in the cam-groove II of the feed-wheel, the stud last named being also fitted in a slot, G formed in the bracket A' radially to the feedwheel.

The letter J indicates a crank-operating rod extending under the feed-wheel H, one end of which rod has a stud, J Fig. 3, fitted in a concentric groove, H in the lower surface of the feed-wheel and the other end of which has a slot, J Fig. 2*, into which is fitted a stud, J of the bell-crank J, this stud being on one arm of the bell-crank and the stud J being on the other arm thereof, while at the junction of said arms is a pivot, J whereby the bell-crank is united to the feedbar G. Said slot J of the operating-rod is parallel to theline of feed, and to accommodate the slot the rod is bent laterally, as shown, its bent and slotted portion resting on the lower forward portion, A, of the machinearm, while the bell-crank J in turn rests on the rod between it and the feed-bar G, as more clearly shown in Fig. 4. The crank-operating rod J 2 also has a longitudinal slot, J

Fig. 3, whereby it straddles the shaft of the The letter N indicates a cloth-plate-operating wheel which is mounted horizontally above thedriving'shaft D on a staff, N, rising from a block, N Fig. 1, which is arranged to slide 011 said shaft, it being held against rotating by a cheelcpiece, N Figs. 3 and 4, rising from the base A of the machine. In the upper surface of said operating-wheel N is a cam-groove, N into which is fitted a stud, N of a rod, N having a longitudinal slot, N whereby it straddles the wheel-staff N and also a second stud, N fitted into a slot, F, of the cloth-plate, this slot being parallel to the line of feed. The lower surface of the operating-wheel N is toothed to gear with a correspondinglytoothed driving-wheel, N", which is mounted on the driving-shaftD to slide thereon as well as to share the motion of the shaft. Y

On the bottom of thesliding block N is an extension, N having its end bent upward and bifurcated to straddle the hub of the driving-wheel N for confining said wheel between it and said block, thereby causing the wheel to slide and fro with the block.

The adj ustin g-lever I, Fig. 3, before referred to, has its fulcrum in a post, I, rising from the base A of the machine, and said lever has i a stud, 1 at one end fitted into the cam-groove H of the feed-wheel,-while it is connected at the other end to the sliding block N as by a pivot, 1 of said extension or any other suitable portion of the block.

The letter 0, Fig. 3, indicates a feed-dog lever, and O" a detent-lever, both engaging frictionally with a concentric groove, 0 in the lower surface of the feed-wheel H under the impulse of a suitable spring, the feed-dog also engaging with a cam, 0 of the drivingshaft for operating the feed-wheel in a wellknown manner.

In the periphery of the feed-wheel H are ratchet-teeth P, to engage with a pawl, P, which is held in peripheral contact with said wheel by the action of a spring, P said pawl being pivoted to one end of a lever, P, Fig. 3, which has its fulcrum in the feed-wheel shaft and engages at the other end with a cam, F for operating the lever together with the pawl, said cam being in this example formed by a bevel on the periphery of the lower portion of the pitman O, and a stop, P being adj ustably secured to an adjacent portion of the machine-arm A for arresting the lever, the operation of said cam P being to oscillate said lever in each descent of the pitman, and thereby advance the pawl for its engagement with successive teeth of the feed-wheel. Said teeth P of the feed-wheel are arranged in groups or series opposite to each other and in such relation to the serpentine cams H H. that the feed-pawl P is in engagement with the teeth during the operation of said cams to reciprocate the crank-operating rod J the effect being to impart a positive motion to the feed-wheel during said operation.

The periphery of the feed-wheel H has also a notch or depression, Q, Fig. 2, to receive one end of a stop-lever, Q, at which end said lever is shaped to engage a stop-pin,Q on one end of a clutch-lever, Q the latter having also a second pin, Q, to engage grooved collar Q which is mounted on the driving-shaft D to slide thereon, and to which is secured one end of a feathenkey, Q Fig. 1, of the drivingshaft, the other or outer end of which key has a lug or clutch, Q adapted to enter a radial notch, Q in the hub of a loosepulley, D on the driving-shaft, for imparting motion to said shaftfrom the pulley.

The stop-lever'Q and the clutch-lever Q have their fulcra in posts risingfrom the base A of the machine, and said levers are connected together by a spring, Q", which has a tendency to hold the stop-lever in peripheral contact with the feed-wheel and to draw the end of the clutch-lever having the stop-pin Q toward the stop-lever.

The operation of my machine is as follows: In the intermittent rotary motion of the feedwheel H the feed-lever G is oscillated by the action of the cam-groove ll of said wheel, and the feed-bar G and the cloth -plate F and its ways F are moved uniformly in reverse parallel directions by the action of the feed-lever through the medium of the bellcrank J, while during both of said feed motions the cloth plate is reciprocated in a line opposite to the line of feed by the action of the operating-wheel N through its cam-groove N andthe rod N" for bringing the needle alternately in and out of the fabric containing the button-hole to be sewed. The length of said reverse feed motions of the cloth-plate F determines the length of the button-hole, and during the intervals between said mot-ions, or when the ends of the button-hole have been reached, the cloth-plate is reciprocated in the line of the feed by the action of the serpentine cams H H of the feed-wheel on the feedbar G, while said plate is also moved, irrespective of its reciprocal motion, opposite to the line of feed in one direction during one interval and in the other direction during the other interval between said feed motions by the action of the cam-groove. H of the feedwheel on the operating-wheel N and its rod for bringing theneedle from side to side of the button-hole, so that by said reciprocal motion of the cloth-plate and its simultaneous adjustment sidewi'se to the button-hole the needle is permitted to stitch across both ends of the button-hole without the necessity of turning the fabric for that purpose. In said adjustment of the cloth-plate, together with its operating mechanism, it is moved recip rocally in one direction, with the effect of forming around eye, T, at oneend of the button-hole, and uniformly in the other direction, with the eifect of forming a straight bar, T, at the other end of the button-hole, as indicated in Fig. 5. Said action of the serpentinecamsH 1-1 of the feed-wheel on the feed-bar G is effected'through the crank-rod J 2 and the bellcrank J, said rod being reciprocated by the ac-v tion of the cams on the stud J 3 of the rod, and the bell-crank being oscillated on the stud J by the action of the rod through its slot J 4 on the stud J 5 of the crank, while the feed-bar in turn is reeiprocated by the action of the pivot J, whereby the crank is connected to said bar. In the feed motions of the clothplate the stud J of the bell-crank travels in the slot J of the crank-rod, and the crank forms a connecting-link between the feed-bar G and the feed-lever. The action of the camgroove H of the feed-wheel on the operating wheel N is effected through the adjusting-1e ver I, which is oscillated on its pivot I,while the sliding block or bearing N is moved lengthwise of the driving-shaft D by said lever, carrying with it the operating-wheel and its connections.

The ratchet-teeth P are in fixed relation to the serpentine cams H 11 of the feed-wheel that is to say, said teeth are in engagement with the pawl P, and the wheel is advanced by the action of the pawl through the pawllever P during the reciprocal action of the cams on the crank-rod J and since the motion of the wheel is thus rendered positive during these periods the regularity of the stitches across the end of the button-hole is insured.

'Whcn in the motion of the feed-wheel H its peripheral notch Q is brought opposite the stop-lever Q, the end of said lever drops into the notch and releases the stop-pin Q of the clutch-lever Q, thus permitting the latter to follow the action of the spring Q", the effect of which is to automatically shift the clutchlever in a direction to draw the sliding collar Q inward upon the driving-shaft and bring the clutch Q of the feather-key on said shaft out of engagement with the pulley D so that the shaft ceases to derive motion from the pulley and the operation of the machine is arrested. Said arrest in the operation of the machine takes place whenever a button-hole has been completed, and in order to again put the machine in operation the clutch-lever Q is adjusted by hand to re-engage the clutch Q with the pulley D and is retained in that position until the notch Q of the feed-wheel has cleared the end of the stop-lever Q, as shown in Fig. 2.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6,7, and 8 the crank-rod J is reciprocated from the rod N of the cloth-plate-operating mechanism, as follows: In the crank-rod J 2 is a hole or socket, S, and in the operating-rod N is a corresponding socket, S, each of which sockets is adapted to engage with one end of a connected lever, S extending transversely to said rods, it having its fulcrum in a swiveljoint, S on a post rising from the base of the machine. Said transverse lever S engages on one side of its joint with one end of a shifting lever, S, which has its fulcrum in a pivot secured to the machine-arm A, and the other end of which engages with a camgroove, S Fig. 7, in the periphery of the feed-wheel II in such a manner that in the reverse feed motions of the cloth-plate F, and While the sides of the button-hole are being formed, the shiftinglever is in a position to.

hold the connecting-lever out of engagement with the operating-rod N thus leaving the crank-rod J 2 stationary, while during the intervals of said feed mot-ions, and while the ends of the button-hole are being formed, the shifting lever takes a position to hold the connecting-lever in engagement with both the operating-rod and the crank-rod, so that the motion of the operating-rod is transmitted to the crank-rod by the connecting-lever. The crank-rod J 2 rests on abracket, S secured to the base of the machine, and in said bracket is a hole or socket, S which coincides with that of the crank-rod and receives the proper end of the connecting-lever S ,while the crankrod is inoperative for locking said rod during that period.

The shifting lever S may be elastic to spring the ends of the connecting-lever S into the holes or sockets of the respective rods What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a button-hole sewing-machine, the combination, with the stitch-forming mechanism and cloth-plate, of a feed-bar mounted upon said plate, a feed-wheel having in one face aplain feed-cam, H, connected with the feed-bar, and having in the other face serpentine cam H H and an adj usting-cam, H the former also connected with the feed-bar by means substantially such as herein described, an operating-wheel having a cam, N connected with the cloth-plate, an adj ustinglever, I, connecting the operating-wheel with said adjusting-cam II of the feed-wheel, and a driving-shaft connected with the feed-wheel and operating-wheel, the whole constructed and arranged substantially as herein described, for the purpose set forth.

2. In a button hole sewing-machine, the combination, with the cloth-clamp and stitchforming mechanism, of a feed-bar, a feed-lever, a feed-wheel having a cam for operating the feed-lever, a driving-shaft connected with the feed-wheel for operating the same, a crankrod having a slot parallel to the feed-bar, a bell-crank having a pivot connecting it to the feed-bar, and two studs fitted, respectively, into a slot at one end of the feed-lever and into said slot of the crank-rod for reciprocating the feed-bar, and a means for reciprocating the crank-rod, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. In a button-hole sewing-machine, the combination, with the cloth-clamp and stitchforming mechanism, of a feed-bar, a feed-lever, a crank-rod having a slot parallel to the feed-bar, a bell-crank having a pivot connecting it to the feed-bar, and two studs fitted, respectively, into a slot at one end of a feedlever and into said slot of the crank-rod for shaft, a stop-lever having one end arranged I in peripheral contactwith the feed-wheel and constructed to'drop into said notch of the Wheel for releasing the driving-shaft from the pulley, a clutch-lever having a st0p pin for engaging said end of the stop-lever, and

1 a spring connecting the stop-lever and clutchlever, substantially as and for the purpose described. I

JOI-IN s. FREESE.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS C. BOWEN, CHAS. WAHLERS. 

